Cigarette-former.



J. E. WOOD.

CIGARETTE FORMER.

APPLICATION mum Jun 17, 190B.

Patented Nov. 3, 1908.

Wit was UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN E. WOOD, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

CIGARE CUTE-FORMER.

To all whom "it may concern:

Be it known that I, Jenn E. VVooo, a citizen of the United States, residing at Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Cigarette-Formers, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to the class of tobacco, and has particular reference to devices to enable individual smokers to easily and rapidly form their own cigarettes when ever desirable and without any possibility of loss or waste of tobacco. The device constituting this present. invention is adapted to be attached to an ordinary tobacco bag, in which position it will be maintained until the contents of such bag are exhausted. The device is simple in construction, easy of manipulation, and not inconvenient to carry or handle.

For a full understanding of the invention, reference is to be had to the following detail description and to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a longitudinal.sectional view of one form of the invention, the parts being in normal position; Fig. 2 is a. view corresponding to that of Fig. 1 but of a modified construction; Fig. 3 is a detail perspective, and Fig. 4- is a like view of parts shown in the other figures.

Throughout the following description and on the several figures of the drawings similar parts are referred to by corresponding refer-' ence characters.

As a preferred embodiment of the invention, I employ a substantial metallic skeleton frame 10 which may be in the form of an annulus, the cross section of the metal being in the form of an ogee. A tubular guide or sleeve 11 is secured in proper position relative to the frame 10, preferably in axial alinement therewith, as by means of rigid arms 12. As illustrated in Fig. 1 the parts thus far described may be made integral and from a single blank. The guide sleeve 11 is preferably outwardly flared at its upper and lower edges for the purpose of preventing injury to the dia hragm hereinafter described or tea-ring o fthe cigarette paper during the manipulation of the device. As indicated in the drawings the frame 10 will be secured within the mouth of the tobacco bag as by use of the ordinary draw strings attached thereto.

A tube 13, preferably cylindrical through- Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed June 17, 1908.

Patented Nov. 3, 1908.

Serial No. 439,009.

out its length and having a small bead 13 at its inner or upper end, is slidably mounted within the guide or sleeve 11, so that the tube may be reciprocated within the sleeve. The connection between the tube and the sleeve will be by an easy sliding fit, whereby the tube will be properly guided in its longitudinal movements but may be easily operated. A flexible diaphragm 14, preferably of rubber, the preferred form of which is conical or cupshaped, secured at one edge to the said frame 10 and at the other edge to the beaded end of the tube 13. As a convenient means for securing the diaphragm within the frame 10, it may be formed in its manufacture with an embedded spring, which will snap into the holding edge or inwardly projecting flange of the frame as indicated in Fig. 1. By this arrangement all of the contents of the bag will be guided into and through the tube 13, there being no possibility when the device is properly assembled for any leakage or waste for this reason. By reason of the flexible connection between. the tube and frame reciprocation of the tube within the sleeve will be permitcd, although the con nection between the diaphragm 11 and the other parts will be so rigid or firm as to prevent any possibility of relative. rotation to any great extent.

Any suitable means may be employed for agitating the contents of the bag and feeding the same through the frame, diaphragm, and tube. As herein disclosed such means may embody a yoke 15 comprising a pluralitv of rigid arms secured to the frame 10. Said arms maybe secured in place by any suitable means, such as by being sprung into holes in the edge of the frame or by being soldered thereto. Projecting in one direction from the yoke 15 is an agitator 16 which insures; a sufficient amount of loose material in the bag to form a cigarette. The device normally being carried in the pocket with the bag in a vertical position, the weight of the former will rest upon the contents of the bag thereby causing the agitator to loosen the tobacco which in some varieties is in a somewhat caked condition. The feeding means further comprises a rigid ta m per 1 T secured to the yoke 15 and extending therefrom in the direction opposite that to which the agitator projects and without. the tube 13. The outer end of the tamper lies substantially at the outer end of the tube, normally within the end but upon reciprocation of the tube the end of the tamper will be projected b r the end of the tube. The yoke 15, in addition to serving as a support for the agitator and tamper, serves to insure a free movement of the loose material in the bag into the interior of the frame and cup formed by the diaphragm. The capacity of the frame and diaphragm will be substantially sutficient to form a cigarette.

In the modification illustrated in Fig. 2 there disclosed a slightly different form wherein the arms 12'. the sleeve 11, and the frame 10' are made in separate pieces suitably united as by soldering. In this form the diaphragm 14 will be secured as before to the inner headed end of the tube 13, but its larger end or edge will be secured on the outside of the frame 10 by elasticity of its rim, but within the arms as before.

Having thus set forth the construction of the invention, the operation thereof will be appreciated as herein set forth. A cigarette wrapper of the usual character is wrapped about the tube 123, the inner edge of which will approximately be positioned adjacent to the edge of the sleeve 11. These devices it will be understood will be made in slightly varying sizes dependent upon the sizes of the cigarettes desired or the makes of cigarette paper. The sleeve 11 therefore will constitute in the normal position of the device a guide or stop to determine the proper location for the paper. In any event the outer edge of the paper will project sufficiently beyond the outer end of the tube to permit the same to be erimpcd over after being wrapped. It will be understood that during the rolling or wrapping of the paper about the tube the position of the device will be either horizontal or inclined upwardly, to prevent spilling of the tobacco before the outer end of the paper is crimped. The device is then turned with the tube and cigarette paper downwardly, that is to say, wlth the bag inverted. The paper is then held by the tlmmb and first two fingers of one hand near its upper end,'close to the sleeve. The other .hand will grasp the bag about the frame 10, whereby the frame and yoke carried thereby will be rigidly held. The first movement will be to withdraw the paper a fraction of an inch from the sleeve so as to prevent any possibility of tearing of the paper by the sleeve and to enable the contents of the bag to begin to be filled into the bottom of the cigarette. Thereafter the operator will move his hands toward and from each other causing a rapid reciprocation of the tube within the frame and the sleeve carried thereby, causing the contents of the bag to be fed downwardly through the tube and tamped into the cigarette, during this operation the tube being held with sufficient friction to allow the cigarette to be withdrawn therefrom as a. result of the reciprocation of the device. By the use of this device the edge of the cigarette paper may be moistened or not after being rolled just as the oierator may prefer. After the cigarette 18 thus filled it will be removed from the end of the tube and its inner end crimped or not, desired. The bag and attachment will then be turned upright and replaced in the pocket of the user.

It will be understood that the details of construction of this device may be varied in many respects so long as the spirit of the invention as hereinafter claimed is not departed from.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new, is:

1. The hereindescribed cigarette former comprising, in combination, an annular frame, rigid supporting means extending therefrom, a. tubular guide attached to the supporting means in axial alinement with the frame, a tube slidably mounted for reciprocation in said guide, a flexible diaphragm extending from said frame to one end of said tube between the frame and the guide, and means to feed material through the tube.

2. In a cigarette former, in combination, a skeleton frame, a tube, means to guide and support the tube from the frame, said supporting means comprising a cup-shaped diaphragm, and means to feed material through the frame, diaphragm, and tube comprising a yoke secured within the edge of the frame, an agitator secured to the yoke and extending therefrom in one direction, and a tamper likewise secured to the yoke and extending therefrom in the opposite direction.

3. In a cigarette former, in combination, a frame having an inwardly projectin flange, guiding means supported upon sai frame, a. movable tube supported in said guiding means, a flexible diaphragm secured at one edge to said movable tube and having at the other edge and embedded metal ring whereby it is secured within said frame flange, and means to feed material through the tube.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JOHN E. WOOD.

Witnesses R. L. LOCKYEN, A. THOMAS. 

